whole milk

IPA/ˈhəʊl mɪlk/
IPA/ˈhəʊl mɪlk/

whole milk — noun

1. dairy milk that keeps all its natural fat because none of the cream has been tak

1.nounA2
Definition

dairy milk that keeps all its natural fat because none of the cream has been taken out of it

Example

Vivek puts whole milk in his coffee every morning because he likes the taste.

uncountable noun: 'whole milk' without an article

Bilal's doctor told him to drink less whole milk and more water.

collocation: drink + whole milk

Common collocations
  • drink whole milk
  • buy whole milk
  • use whole milk (in cooking)
  • whole milk + coffee / tea / cereal
  • whole milk + recipe / batter / cake
  • switch from whole milk to [low-fat/skimmed] milk
  • carton/bottle/glass of whole milk
Synonyms
  • full-fat milk

    more explicit about fat content; common in health-related contexts

  • full cream milk

    chiefly British English; emphasises the creamy layer that remains

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun — not used with 'a' or plurals

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — never used with 'a' or plural '-s'. To count quantities, use a container word such as 'carton', 'bottle', or 'glass' (e.g., 'two cartons of whole milk').

Common Mistakes

I bought two whole milks.
I bought two cartons of whole milk.
'Whole milk' is uncountable; use a container word to count it.
Please pass me a whole milk.
Please pass me the whole milk.
Uncountable nouns cannot follow the indefinite article 'a'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms describe milk that has not had its fat content reduced. 'Whole milk' is the standard term in most English-speaking countries — consumers recognise it on supermarket shelves and cafés offer it by default. 'Full-fat milk' is more common in health and nutrition writing, where the fat percentage matters for dietary choices. 'Full cream milk' appears mainly in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; it emphasises the creamy layer that rises to the top. In everyday use, all three are interchangeable, but a learner will hear 'whole milk' most often in shops and restaurants.

whole milk ↗full-fat milkfull cream milk

Common collocations

Nouns

  • drink + whole milk
  • buy + whole milk
  • use + whole milk
  • carton/bottle/glass + of whole milk

Phrases

  • switch from whole milk to [skimmed/low-fat] milk
  • made with whole milk

Prepositions

  • whole milk + in [coffee/tea]
  • whole milk + over [cereal]

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

'Whole' comes from Old English 'hāl', meaning 'entire or uninjured'. 'Milk' comes from Old English 'meoluc'. The compound 'whole milk' came into use in the 19th century when industrial cream separators made it necessary to label milk that had all its cream still in it, to distinguish it from skimmed milk.